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PARENT-TkACHER ASSOCIATIONS. 



The Parent-Teacher Association movement has grown steadily dur- 
ing the past 3^ear. Recogjiizing their own need, parents have made 
united and earnest efforts in various parts of the country to better 
their conditions by coming together to talk over their problems. 
They have joined with the teacher in discussing their problems. 
Every State has joined the nation-wdde movement in the interest of 
the home and the school to a greater or less extent. Thirty-four 
State conferences of parents and teachers on home education and 
child welfare were held during the past year. 

Three national conferences on home education were held during the 
year — one at the meeting of the Department of Superintendence of 
the meeting of the National Education Association in New York, and 
one in Nashville, Tenn. Thousands of district and local conferences 
were held throughout the country. The welfare of the child and 
home education were the chief topics of discussion at these meetings. 
At the New York meeting the cooperation of mothers and kinder- 
gartners was under discussion. 

Miss Elizabeth Harrison, of Chicago, in her address on "' Mothers 
w'ithout kindergartens," said : 

There are many thousands of young mothers in our land who long to give the 
advantages of the kindergarten training to their children, but who are powerless 
to accomplish this because of the apathy, the ignorance, or the poverty of the 
community in which they live. 

But the children of these many earnest mothers need not be entirely without 
the development of mind and body which the kindergarten brings. There is 
much which such mothers, alone and unaided, may do along kindergarten lines 
if tliey will give as much time and effort to this important thought of awaken- 
ing and nourishing aright the best instincts of their children as they are now 
given to less vitally important subjects. 

The thoughtful young mother realizes that there is a vast difference between 
a strong, well " young animal " and her child's possession of a well-controlled, 
serviceable body which obeys the slightest command of the spirit within. 

The kindergartner understands this, and gives to her children experiences in 
the coordination of their muscles by letting them walk on a raised board or a 
chalk line on the floor, by eucournging their running or skipping or hopping in 
time to loud or soft music, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. The isolated! 
mother may not be a musician or she may not have time to play on the piano, 
for lier children's lively dancing, but she can sing as she works and they can runi 
or skip or dance in time to her song. I once heard Miss Frances Willard state' 
that she learned to dance by keeping time to a hymn which her mother would', 
sing, over and over again, for her and her little sister to dance by. Learning la 
go up and down stairs alone, to climb fences, to swing on branches of trees 
are all helpful means of giving the child confidence in the use of his body. 

-\gain the kindergartner knows how much added zost the imagination gives 
to all such exercise and the breadth of sympathy it adds throughout all 
70GG3— 17 



lifi'. st» sho soon Icails Iht <liil«li«'n tn (Iniiiintl'/e lli<- wmld altout Hieiu.l ^'liey 
Iwini til piny tlwil ilifv ni-i' llyin;; liinls, m- llutt^iiiiir ImtrtM-tlii's. «>r rminiii,ir 
l»rtM>ks. or ^Towiii;; tri'os. or tin- rusliiii;.' au«l wlilrliriK wind, as wt'll as to jday 
that tlifv an« iiiMiniiias ami iiapas, ;rro<-cryiiien ami iu('ss»Mifr«'r hoys, or othor 
liiiiiiaii am-iicU's. Im>i- sIh-. ilir UiiultM«artiu'r. has, Ifariu'd that the clillirs sim- 
pl»' nn luirtlii;,' of ilu' nc-tivitirs which surroiiiul him is iiclpftil to him m»t only 
ill »'X»'r<isin« his Imly moi»' \ i;rorously hut iils*^ in awaUt'iiiii;,' his i'ii<'r«'st in 
iiatur*' iimi in tlu' ri«lit kind of hunitin a«rivitM's. May not a luollier in llu» 
midst of her many inn's still (ii:d time \\hili> slit* performs Ium- neivssary work 
to play thus witli her chilir.' A f»\v words on her part will start tlie little one 
nlon;r a whoh- line of dramalic iTprescnlation. which will he as uood for the soul 
as it is for the hiMly. 

Auain. the kinderpirtm-r knows the Intiueiice of stories upon the life of the 
tliild — how they lu'lp to lift liiiu out of his own narrow little wttrid into an 
almost limitless W(H-ld of ideals and posslhiljties. Surely the youn;; mother 
who cares enoiiu'li for hei- child lo drsire to awaken ri^dit ideas in liis mind 
<-an soon train herself into a stctry-teller. It will jiive to her an added <'harm 
in the eyes of her children which will last far into their frrowinfi hoyhood and 
?iiiho(»d. Wisely sele«Me<l stories, well told, hriii); an impetus as can no other 
means low.ird llu' real cultnii' which comes from .1 love of lilerninre and of 
iiistoiy. 

The kiiiiieryartner encoura^ies the child to exi»ress ids ideas hy usinj; <-hiilk. 
crayon. i»eneii. or, when skiileil enoujrh. with w^ter-cohtr paints. The motlier 
need not he an artist to start lliese lines of interest in her chihl. Ilis own 
eajrer little .self will u'ladly .seize the opportunity f«u' self-expressii»n through 
these ea.sy means of representations. Ajraln and aj<arn I iiave known motliers 
to l>e astonislied at ilu* unsusi)ected ahllity of tlieir children to express them- 
selves in tliis way when jiiven the free u.se of a small hlackhoard and chalk. 

Last, hut not least, ihc kinderuartner realizes the social value of the child's 
<-ommin;rlin;; with other children near his own statre of jrrowtii or development 
and consefpieiitly divides her chihlren into jrroups of helpers and lielped. thus 
teachin;: them to hear ami forhear. to resjiect the rijrhts of others, and to eii- 
rieh their own small lives witli the ideas and ex|)eriences of other small lives 
that lie nearer their coiiii>rehensioii tliaii do the ideas and expressions of Krov.n- 
up iH'oi)le. Tlie only way in whi^!i t!:e ist-latcMl mother can compensate fi.r the 
lack of this frreat influence in her child's life Is hy hecominp: as a little child 
lierself and striving.' to midersiaial the child's point (»f view. If she does this 
her reward will he rich and wonilerful. for it will hrinj: to her a friimpse of 
Ihm- child's inner world of which witliout I his «'omrndeship slie will know nothing. 

Mi.ss Lucy A\'lieel()(k, of the Kiiulefjrititeii Training School, Bos- 
ton, Mm.s''. .s])(»ke on llie " Need of Prepafedness for Service." She 
referreil particnhirly to prepareilne.s^ for the girls. She said: 

Kvery woman, he slv mother, sister, or juint. needs to know how to "live 
Willi children" ii' ill. ^llirit <>f i-'roelnd's motto. Hence she sliouid have a 
liheral iours«« in child study, including; child hyjiiene, eliild psycholojry. cliild 
literature, ;;ames and jilays. and occupations. The laws »»f life and >;rowtli 
slioiild he unfolded to her Ihroujih a study of hlolo^y. and the storyhook of 
nature, "tlie dear old nurse." heconies her daily text. "The per.son with a 
story" is the liest frii-nd of cidldien. and no teacher or mother shoidd he witli- 
iHit a slory. To ;:ive llie story means knowled;;e ol literature — an a<-(|uaintaDce 
Willi the myth, the legend, the folk lore and fairy tale. A .sont: and a lullahy 
take (Mjual rank with a story as part of a woman's life cHiuiiMiient. Asylum 



D. of L». 
JUN 13 1917 



3 

children and teuement-liouse children miss manj^ of the goods of fortune. Their 
greatest lack is the " mothering " which finds expression in the cradle song, 
in the songs without words, which the mother heart devises for the awakening 
of the child's soul. 

In Daddy-Long-Legs and in The Dear Enemy, Jean Webster has pictured the 
difference between The Home and a home. 

The story, song, and play are necessary to the atmosphere of a home. No 
one study of any college curriculum or of any finishing school can be compared 
to the intimate study of child life as suggested by Proebel's " Mother-Play " 
with its accompanying store of songs and plays. 

Insinct is usually wise and leads to a desirable goal. In motherhood of 
human beings it nuist be supplemented by insight and training. 

Play is instinctive, and children with half a chance will get the benefit of 
nature's tuition. But with the artificial and crowded conditions of city life, 
play can not be free and natural. Play spaces are lacking and incentives as well. 

Ovgauization and guidance are needed for the play instinct, as for any other, 
that it may reach its full fruition. 

To be a friend of children is to be a playmate. For this reason our girls 
should know how to play. They should have a repertoire of plays and games — 
and best of all, the spirit of play. It is the spirit of play which keeps the 
zest and freshness of life. It is the root of art and the sweetener of tasks. 

And, finally, every woman needs to know her neighbors and her relations to 
them. We may call this study of the neighborhood, sociology or social welfare, 
or any other name. The main thing is to secure the feeling of responsibility 
which makes each human being his brother's keeper, or her sister's keeper. 
The American home training is charged with a serious lack— a lack of the 
sense of responsibility for the rights and welfare of others. No lack could be 
more deplorable. The family tie, which binds together parents and children, 
brothers and .sisters, is the first to strengthen. Next the bond which holds to- 
gether communities with common interests and common claims for weal or woe. 

Beyond the community is the State with its call for loyal service, and last that 
" great society " of world citizenship. Loyalty to the family, to the State, to 
the great human family wherever gathered — this the aim of our course in 
social service. !' 

Mothers, you are the home makers ! You are the true " keepers of the city " ! 
Your daugthers, too, are to be home makers. Give them the training that they 
may live better the lives you meant to live. 



WASHINGTON : QOVBBNMHINT PRINTING OFFICB : 1917 



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